Sharp County record., 1887-10-20

dying people who need to realize just one
thing-that Jesus Christ came to save
them, and will save them now. But
we go into profound and
elaborate definitions of what justi'
ficaUion is, and after all the work there are
not, outside of the learned professions,
5000 people in the United States who can
tell what justification is. will read you
the definition: classification is purely a
forensic act, the act of judge sitting In
the forum, in which the Supreme Ruler
and Judge, who is accountable to none,
and who alone knows the manner in which
the ends of his universal government can
best be obtained, reckons that which was
done by the substitute in the same man.
ner as if it had been done by those who
believe in the substitute, and not on ac-
count Of any thing done by them, but
purely upon account of this gracious
method of reckoning, grants them the full
remission of their SINS"
Now, what is Justification l will tell
you what justification is-when a sinner
believes, God lets him off. One summer
in Connecticut l went to a large factory,
and | saw over the door writtsR the
words: "No admittance." l entered, and
saw over the next door: "No admittance."
Of course l entered. l got inside and
found it q pin factory, and they were
making pins, very serviceable, fine and
useful pins.
SO the spirit of exclusiveness has prac-
ho onfciIn lnOr nf
many a church: "No admittance." And
if the stranger enters he finds practically
written over the second door: "No admit
tance," and if he goes in, over all the pew
doors seems written: mo admittance,"
while the minister stands in the pulpit,
hammering out his little niceties of belief,
pounding out the technicalitieS ofreligion,
making pins. In the most practical, COM
nonsense way, and laying aside the non,
essentials and the hard definitions of re-
lgion, 20 out on the God.gven mission,
telling the people what they need and
when and how they can get it.
Comparatively little effort as yet has
been made to save that large class of per-
sons in our midst called skeptics, and he
who goes to work here will not be
building upon another mans foundation.
There is great multitude of them. They
are afraid of us and our churches, for the
reason we don't know how to treat them.
One of this class met Christ, and hear with
what tenderness, and pathos, and beauty,
and success, Christ dealt with him:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
,r.th all thHrcn nd VI
thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is
the first commandment, and the second is like
this, namely: Thou shall love thy neighbor as
thyself. There is no other commandment
greater than this.
And the scribe said to him:
Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, for
there is one God, and to love h m with all the
heart, and all the understanding, and all the
soul, and all the strength is more than whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices.
And when Jesus saw that he answered
discreetly, he said unto him:
Thou art not far from the kingdom Of God.
So skeptic was saved in one interview.
But few Christian people treat the skeptc
in that way Instead of taking hold Of
him with the gentle hand of love, we are
apt to take him with the iron pincers of
eccesiasticism.
You would not be so rough on that man
if you knew by what process he had lost
his faith in Christianity. have known
men skeptical from the fact that
they grew up in houses where religion
was overdone. Sunday was the most aw-
full day of the week. They had relig-
ion driven into them with trip-ham-
mer. They were surfeited with prayer
meetings. They were stuffed and choked
with catechisms. They were often told
they were the worst boys the parents ever
knew, because they liked to ride down hill
better than to read Bunyan's Pilgrims
Progress. Whenever father and mother
talked of religion they drew down the
corners of their mouth and rolled up their
eyes. If any one thing will send boy or
girl to perdition sooner than another that
is it. If | had had such father and
mother, fear | should have been an in.
fdel.
Others were tripped up Of skepticism
from being grievously wronged by some
man who professcd to be a Christian
They had partner in business who turned
out to be first-cass scoundrel, though
professed Christian. Twenty years ago
they lost all faith by what happened in an
oil company which was formed amid the
petroleum excitement. The company
owned no land, or if they did, there was
no sign of oil produced; but the president
of the company was a Presbyterian elder,
and the treasurer was an Episcopal ves-
tryman, and one director was Methodist
class-leader, and the other directors prom
inent members of Baptist and Congrega-
tional churches.
Circulars were gotten out telling what
fabulous prospects opened before this COM
pany. Innocent men and women who had
a little money to invest and that little
their all, said: 81 don't know any thing
about this company, but so many good
men are at the head Of it that it must be
excellent, and tux ing stock in it must be
almost as good as joining the church." SO
they bought the stock, and perhaps re-
ceived one dividend, so as to keep them
still, but after awhile they found that the
had reorganized, and had diff
ferent president and different treasurer,
and different directors. Other engage
ments or i'll health had caused the former
officers of the company, with many re-
grets, to resign. And all that the sub
scribers of that stock had to show for their
investment was beautifully ornamented
certificate.
Sometimes that man looking over his
old papers comes across that certificate,
aud it is so suggestive that he vows